Love Intervened
by LunaGirl484
Summary: What if Ginny and Harry's life had taken a different turn after that fateful kiss in the Gryffindor common room? What if violence, tears, and another kind of love intervened with their "Happily Ever After?"
1. Interrupted

Chapter One:

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling**

**Summary-What if Ginny and Harry's life had taken a different turn after that fateful kiss in the Gryffindor Common Room? What if violence, tears, and a different kind of love intervened with their "Happily Ever After?"**

**Timing- Just after Harry kissed Ginnny in the Gryffindor Common Room during his sixth year.**

**Chapter One:**

Ginny was out for another moonlit walk, but this time was different. Tonight, she wasn't out there to escape the reason for her sadness, tonight she was out there to celebrate the end of it. Harry had finally asked her out! Well, he had spontaneously kissed her, but either way it meant the same thing. After all these years of unreturned love, she could finally relax and be happy. She lay down on the grass, staring at the stars.

Her bliss was interrupted by a twig snapping behind her, putting Ginny on alert. She stood up and turned around to see a blonde haired boy standing by a tree holding a bottle that had already been emptied of all its contents.

Ginny sighed. Not even Draco Malfoy would ruin her joy tonight.

"Hello, dear," he said.

"Uh, don't call me dear," she replied. Her tone wasn't pleasant, even that night, as she walked past him towards the castle.

"Why not?" he asked, dropping the bottle and following her.

"Hmmm," she stopped to face him, "_Maybe_ it's because we hate each other and you're a pain in the ass."

"I don't care," Draco slurred. "You're hot."

Simple, and straight to the point. And irritating. Why did he have to get drunk and bug _her_, out of all the other girls?

"Listen, Malfoy, there are plent of girls who _don't _hate your guts. Go bother one of them."

"But they're all in the castle."

This statement caused her to begin to mildly freak out, and she started heading back to Hogwarts, a bit faster than before.

"Wait!" He growled and grabbed her wrist hard enough to make her cry out, and she was no wimp.

"Let go!"

He did for a second, just to fake her out. He grabbed again, but missed and fell. He aimed a second attempt at her ankle, and though he didn't quite get a perfect grasp, it was enough to make her fall and give him time to crawl over and pin her down.

"Malfoy, what the fuck?!"

"Shut up," he mumbled, and she did. Well, not willingly, he was pretty good at silencing charms.

Still keeping her arms pinned above her head, he ripped open her button-up blouse, and, realizing what he was doing, Ginny struggled with everything she had. Unfortunately, the sixth-year boy was significantly stronger, and her physical protests had no affect on him.

His hand moved on to her skirt, unzipping it and revealing her white lacy underwear, which he ripped off and threw to the side.

_Damn it, _she thought, _Those were my favorite pair._ She had no idea why this was what she thought of at a time like this, when something she had saved for the one person she knew could ever make her happy was literally being forced out of her.

She couldn't think of what was happening to her as something that was actually real. Sure, this could happen to other girls, but it would never _really_ happen to her. She focused on the little things, the believable things that _could _happen to her: the stick that was uncomfortably digging into her back, the pain in her wrists, and the cold night air that was stinging her throat; she was breathing faster than normal for a reason she didn't know (or wouldn't accept).

Ginny gasped as she felt the truth, reality, and Malfoy force themselves inside her all at once. There was no avoiding what was actually happening, and with each new thrust of Draco's hips, another wave of misery slowly suffocated the girl, drying her tears and weakening her struggles, until her body was limp while the bruises formed on her hips and thighs.

She was numb, she couldn't feel anything. She didn't feel any of the smacks he placed upon her already bruised body, didn't feel him finish, or get up and leave her. All she knew was that eight hours later, the sun was rising, and after another three hours she could vaguely hear her name being called.

At first, she was gripped by a panic at the thought of them finding her like this, which was almost enough to make her move. But then she remembered that the worst had already happened, and what was another dose of misery and humiliation added to that?

"Oh, my god! Ginny!" The girl heard the voice, and recognized it as Hermione's.

Ginny could sense Hermione coming closer, and felt a blanket being put over her. The thrill at feeling something gave her enough strength to call out.

"Hermione! Please, don't let them…don't let…I cant be-" but her words soon broke down into sobs.

The older girl knelt down next to her friend, beside herself with worry, and said soothingly "Shhh, luv. It's okay. Nobody else is here, I'll get you back to the Hospital Wing and everything w-"

"No! Please, just take me to our room," Ginny managed to choke out between sobs.

"But, Ginny, you're-"

"Please." She whispered her beg, hoping that her friend would listen to her. The idea of being discovered like this by anyone, even Madame Pompfrey, was more than she could bear.

Hermione used magic to secretly transfer Ginny to their room. Once there, she pulled the curtains around the tired girl's bed and let her sleep.

Hermione sat down, thinking. She didn't want to believe what she had seen, or what it could mean, but she knew she couldn't just ignore it and wait for someone to tell her that she was wrong.

Ginny would hate her for what she was about to do, but she needed help, and she wouldn't stand there and do nothing. Hermione stood up and headed for the door to get Ron.

**A/N-Haha! I finally got around to beginning another story. Terribly sorry about the wait. I guarantee that if I get reviews it will be a significantly shorter wait for the next chapter!**


	2. Blamed

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling**

**Summary-What if Ginny and Harry's life had taken a different turn after that fateful kiss in the Gryffindor Common Room? What if violence, tears, and a different kind of love intervened with their "Happily Ever After?"**

**Timing- Just after Harry kissed Ginnny in the Gryffindor Common Room during his sixth year.**

**Chapter Two: Blamed **

"But you're not completely sure? Like, she could have just had some mental breakdown and be all better when she wakes up, right?"

Hermione sighed and looked up at the significantly taller boy.

"Ron, I found her with her shirt and underwear ripped off!" she whispered, even though they were completely alone in the empty classroom. "Not to mention the blood and bruises…" she mumbled as an afterthought.

He looked like he was going to be sick. "She's going to be okay, though, right?"

"Physically, yes. Mentally…"

"Hermione, she has to be okay!"

"It's not something you just get over, Ron. If I'm right, and she was-" Hermione lowered her voice "-raped, then it could take years for her to get over it, if she ever does."

Ron sat down and put his head in his hands. After a few moments, he looked up and said "Can I talk to her?"

"Well, see that's another thing. I wasn't really supposed to tell you." She said louder, when he tried to protest: "So we'll have to introduce your involvement gently!"

"Oh, okay," he said, and smiled weakly.

Twenty seven hours and four minutes later, at around eight o'clock, Ginny finally woke up to find Hermione sitting by her with a worried expression.

Apparently it wasn't a nightmare, as she had hoped. She felt disgusted with herself for allowing Hermione to find her that morning. She didn't need her concern, help, or presence.

Ginny just rolled over.

"Aw, Ginny come on, it's okay."

Whether it was Hermione's words or just what had happened in general, something made Ginny feel terribly sick.

"Can you say something?" Hermione asked.

_Fuck no, _Ginny thought. _You're not even wanted here. _

"Ginny?" She probed.

After a minute or two, Hermione sighed. "Okay…Well, I didn't want to deliver the news like this, but you're not really giving me a choice."

Ginny's interest perked, but she let the older girl wait out the pause without a word from her.

"I didn't really know how to deal with this myself, so…"

Her heart seemed to stop. No, her friend wouldn't do this to her. She couldn't, Hermione would have known that it would destroy her. She was going to say something completely different. Nobody would have been told.

"I had to find someone to tell, and help me."

Ginny sat upright, and felt dizzy immediately, but she ignored it.

"_What??"_

"Please understand-"

"I told you not to! You don't even _have _to deal with this, I would have been better if you just minded your own goddamn business!"

"I just want you to be okay…"

"I am okay!"

"Ginny, not you're not! You're completely different, and nobody's okay after what happened to you."

"Oh, really? And what exactly happened to me?"

Ginny saw a flicker of doubt cross Hermione's face, and smiled.

"Anyways," she said with satisfaction, "Who'd you bring in to 'help' us with the thing that didn't happen?"

It was difficult to sound as ok as she did, because Ginny was anything but okay. She felt as if her whole happy world was collapsing on her, again. She was dizzy with a mixture of anger, nausea, hate, and blame. This whole thing was her fault, after all. If she wasn't stupid enough to be so relaxed around Malfoy when she was so far from the castle, or so lazy as to not get up before someone discovered her there, she wouldn't be in this position. Her friendship was probably at stake with both Hermione and whoever else, because they most likely recognized that she was to blame and were only pretending to be sympathetic. And Harry…Oh, God, she hadn't even thought of Harry. What would he think of her?

But her thoughts were interrupted when her brother's face poked around the corner of the curtains.

"Hi Ginny," he smiled hesitantly.


	3. Abandoned

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling**

**Summary-What if Ginny and Harry's life had taken a different turn after that fateful kiss in the Gryffindor Common Room? What if violence, tears, and a different kind of love intervened with their "Happily Ever After?"**

**Timing- Just after Harry kissed Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room during his sixth year.**

**Chapter Three: Abandoned**

Hermione watched Ginny with a cautious and worried expression. Although she had imagined many, many ways the younger girl may react, she still had no idea what might happen. Maybe she wouldn't be too angry…

"Are you kidding me?!"

Nevermind.

"Well, not really," Hermione said, trying to sound as sure of herself as possible.

"Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone when you found me?"

"Listen, I-"

"No, I won't listen. I can't believe-"

"Listen to me!" Hermione practically yelled, startling them both (and herself). "You just said that there's nothing to worry about, that nothing happened to you. For someone who doesn't have any reason for other people's concern, you're being awfully defensive."

"That still doesn't give you a right to tell someone anything, especially when it's not true."

"It is true Ginny, and you know it, but I can't force you into anything. As soon as you're ready to get over yourself and talk to someone, let me know. Until then, I don't give a shit."

Hermione hoped that she had shown how angry and frustrated she is, but without being too harsh. Part of her was extremely aggravated with Ginny for her attitude, and part of her really felt bad for how things had turned out.

Apparently, Ginny had no response to this. Instead, she just said "Good!" and walked out.

Ten minutes later, she was still sitting in the same corner in her friend Rebecca's room, her head spinning. She still didn't want to believe that Hermione had told someone, especially her brother, of all people. Thinking about this made her feel sick and so embarrassed that it caused her to shudder and close her eyes. She pushed the thought out of her head and just focused on breathing.

She nearly jumped when the door opened and Rebecca came in. The girl didn't notice Ginny until she had slammed the door and threw the package she was carrying loudly to the floor, and when she did she scared her half to death yet again by screaming "Oh, my God! Ginny!"

Rebecca hugged her friend tightly, then said "People have been so concerned for you. No one has any clue what happened, Harry's beside himself with worry, Dumbledore won't send out a search party or anything, and the rumors…"

"Um, what are they?" Ginny's voice sounded weak and a bit rough, as if she had just been crying.

"Well, as you know, Dumbledore won't tell us anything, but Damian said that he overheard Hermione talking to the headmaster, and apparently she said that you were sick. So, naturally, he suggested that she should take you to the Hospital Wing, right?"

Ginny just nodded her head.

"That's the really weird thing: she wouldn't do it, and she wouldn't tell him anything more about you and your sickness. For some reason, though, Dumbledore didn't push the matter at all, and, of course that's what makes everyone so curious. Why didn't he question her, and-"

"Rebecca, I get it," Ginny said. She sighed, you could always count on Rebecca to give you all the information you needed, and then some.

"Oh, right. So, are you okay?" She looked genuinely worried, and for a split second, Ginny wanted to tell her. That feeling was fleeting, however.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It was just some weird thing, you know?" She tried to sound as vague as possible, without sparking the other girl's interest.

"But why couldn't you go to the Hospital Wing?"

So much for that.

"Ummm…it was a really strange spell…that apparently went wrong…and I was practically insane. Hermione, she, er, put a shield around me…and, if I moved out of it, it would break. She didn't want me to, um, hurt anyone…"

_Please believe me, please believe me, _Ginny thought.

"Oh, okay. Well, you're fine now, right?"

"Mmhmm."

"Okay."

Ginny walked out, feeling drained. She was lucky Rebecca didn't question why she was sitting in a corner of the room in her pajamas, she probably wouldn't have been able to think of an answer to _that_ on the spot.

She listened at the door of her own room for a minute before going in, just to make sure no one was there. Once inside, she was so relieved to be alone that she began giggling uncontrollably, and, laying on the bed, wondered if she was going insane.

Meanwhile, Hermione was struggling to keep up with Ron's stride.

_This boy's legs are way too damn long_, she thought, and said "Ron, wait up!"

He slowed, but only slightly. By then, she could tell something was wrong. She ran ahead of him and stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he responded, not meeting her eyes.

"Liar, you always wait for me. Plus, you suck at lying."

"Look, I don't know if I can do this."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she continued as if she didn't know what he was talking about. "Do what?"

"You know what I mean," he said, giving her a meaningful look, "Help Ginny."

"Umm….Why not?"

"Didn't you see the look in her face? It was misery, mortification, and hate all rolled into one!"

He looked a bit like he was going to be sick.

"But, Ron, that's why she needs our help: she's miserable! She can't be alone through this, trust me."

"Well…she has you."

"Are you kidding me? You can't just expect me to deal with this all on my own, she needs both of us."

"She doesn't want the help, and so I can't help her. You've always been better at this stuff anyways."

"So you're just abandoning her!" Hermione was near tears, but she wouldn't show it. She felt a bit like she herself was being abandoned, and it pissed her off to think that he wouldn't stick by both her and Ginny's side.

"When she wants to talk to me, I'll definitely be there to help and support her, but until then…"

"And you think that someday she'll just come to you and want to talk? You can't just start supporting her when you feel like it; you have to be there the whole time."

Ron just walked away.


	4. Beginning

Agitated

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling**

**Summary-What if Ginny and Harry's life had taken a different turn after that fateful kiss in the Gryffindor Common Room? What if violence, tears, and a different kind of love intervened with their "Happily Ever After?"**

**Timing- Just after Harry kissed Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room during his sixth year.**

**Chapter Four: Beginning **

Agitated. No matter how many times Ginny tried to pinpoint exactly what she was feeling, it always came back to that word. She couldn't sit still, couldn't stick to one activity. It could be that she just didn't want to, that every time she moved, every time she switched forms of entertainment, she did it to keep her mind from lingering too long on any given thing. Long enough for it to get bored and want to think about more pressing issues.

One of which was the growing pile of letters on her desk. Ginny supposed that she was, in a way, lucky to have Hermione as a room mate. Even though she was persistent in trying to get Ginny to talk to her, she didn't let anyone else in the room. She hadn't even seen Ron recently. She was also grateful for Dumbledore not pushing the matter of what exactly had happened. He had accepted the lie about a spell gone wrong, even though he probably saw right through it.

As hard as it was, in order to keep up belief that she was "better" and to keep the rate of rumors down, Ginny had had to return to classes on Monday.

Today was Friday, a half day for her, and currently she was drawing a very intricate pattern on the side of an assignment she had finished half an hour ago.

A knock startled her out of the weaving and interlocking lines.

She got up and walked to the door, pausing right behind it and calling "Who is it?"

Even though she knew who it was, a girl could hope, right?

"Harry."

She sighed. What was the point of even hoping anymore? She looked at the letters, looked back at the door, and tried to get her heart rate under control. She'd have to face this sometime.

She opened the door.

Hermione was scared. Everything seemed so fragile. It was as if overnight, she went from walking on solid ground to walking on thin glass. She didn't want to talk to Ron. She had no idea what to say to Harry. Talking to Ginny reminded her of talking to a parrot: limited things they wanted to say, but what was said was with a forced cheeriness.

Who was left that she could turn to?

She turned the corner that led to her and Ginny's room and froze when she saw Harry walking in. Praying that her footsteps hadn't been so loud as to alert them to her presence, she backed up a few paces so that all but her face was hidden by the wall.

The door closed, and Hermione was relieved that they didn't know she was there. She waited, coming up with different scenarios that could be playing out inside.

Maybe would Ginny would tell Harry what had happened, admitting it for the first time in the week since she'd been found. Maybe Harry would comfort her, make her feel better. Maybe everything could just go back to being simple. Maybe…

Harry stepped in, surprised that she had actually opened the door this time.

"Thanks for letting me in," he said a bit harshly. He had a right to be frustrated. His girlfriend had been ignoring the numerous ways he had been trying to communicate with her, whether it was talking or even just writing. Rumors had been flying about her "condition," and he seemed to be the last one to hear about it.

When Ginny didn't say anything, he turned to her. "So…is there anything I should know?"

She walked from the door to the bed and sat down. "Maybe. What do you want to know?"

Harry sat down next to her. She was acting weird, different than he had ever seen her. "Um, maybe why you missed a week of school, and why you've been avoiding me ever since you got back."

"Haven't you heard? I thought everyone knew by now. Some spell turned out wrong and made me kinda crazy. Hermione had to contain me so I didn't hurt anyone."

"Okay, and you didn't come see me just because you thought I knew, or…?" Harry let the question hang in the air. He didn't know what to think. Why would she avoid him if that was the case?

"Yeah, I guess," Ginny said softly. "I haven't really been feeling that great, I'm still recovering and I've been really tired."

And it takes a lot of effort just to write a letter telling me that? Harry wanted to say, but didn't. He figured that if she was still feeling sick, whatever the cause or reason, he should let her rest and be alone.

"Oh, well as soon as you are feeling better, just come over to my dorm, I guess. Okay?"

Ginny nodded. Harry kissed her on the forehead and, pausing at the door, let himself out.

Hermione figured that once she heard the door close it was safe to walk around the corner and continue to head to her room.

She turned the corner and saw Harry walking slowly down the hall, so deep in thought that he didn't notice her there.

"Oh, Harry, hi!" She said, feigning surprise.

The boy looked up, startled, and then replied "Oh, hi."

"Did you talk to Ginny?" Hermione asked, hoping he'd smile and reassure her that everything was just perfect.

"Yeah, she seemed a bit weird."

Hermione felt like punching him. "Harry, of course she's weird! It's her first week being back from being insane!"

"Because of a spell?" He sounded doubtful. Well, who could blame him?

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll see you at dinner," he said and walked past her.

Hermione sighed. That conversation had effectively killed any hope of everything returning to "normal." Then again, it was ridiculous to hope for normal after what happened. All normality had been lost the morning they found Ginny.

She walked into her room to find Ginny lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling and not moving at all.

Hermione's first reaction was that she was dead, but she quickly shook off that irrational worry, blaming stress and exhaustion.

"Ginny, are you okay?"

She sighed. See, Hermione told herself, dead people don't sigh. "What does okay mean, again?"

The older girl walked over and sat down on the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Talking to Harry was just really…hard, I guess that's the right word. Being near him made everything seem so much more real, like a dull knife that's suddenly sharpened."

Hermione flinched at the mention of knives. What's with her focusing on death all of a sudden?

"So…you do know what happened?"

"I've always known."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked, getting her hopes up even though she knew she shouldn't.

"Not really."

"Okay…Do you want to come down to the Great Hall with me for dinner?"

"Would you mind just bringing something back with you?"

"I guess not."

"Thanks."

Hermione left, bracing herself for another awkward dinner full of Harry's questions, most of which she couldn't answer.

By the time Hermione had returned from dinner, Ginny had given up all hope of sleep, and was just faking it to avoid conversation. Although part of her wanted to talk to her friend, she wasn't going to forgive Hermione for telling Ron that easily.

Her thoughts just wouldn't stop, there was just too much to think about. What would she do about Harry? She felt sick whenever she was around him, and not the butterflies-in-stomach kind that she used to feel, but the I-don't-feel-like-I-can-love-you-anymore-and-I-feel-like-it's-my-fault kind. And what would she do about Hermione? She felt bad continuing to be angry, but she wasn't ready to forgive and talk. Also, how would she deal with being around Malfoy? She had skipped the only class she had with him that week, but she couldn't do that the rest of her life.

And the list went on, too much to even let her feel calm, let alone sleep. If only her mind worked like this with some of the homework assignments she had.

Eventually, once she was sure Hermione was very asleep, she got out of bed and tiptoed out the door.

She had only been walking around empty hallways for about ten minutes when she heard footsteps and saw a familiar outline. One that made her dizzy and her heart race with fear, and maybe something else. Walking towards her was Malfoy.


	5. Known

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, they all belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling**

**Summary-What if Ginny and Harry's life had taken a different turn after that fateful kiss in the Gryffindor Common Room? What if violence, tears, and a different kind of love intervened with their "Happily Ever After?"**

**Timing- Just after Harry kissed Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room during his sixth year.**

**Chapter Five: Known**

Ginny wanted to run. She wanted to scream and kick and throw heavy objects at Malfoy. But she was held there, whether by fear or something else, she didn't know.

All she knew is that he was coming closer and closer, seemingly headed straight for her. She wished he would turn off on some other corridor before he reached her, therefore taking the decision from her. He didn't, and at the last minute she pressed herself against the wall of the nearest corridor, still not sure if she was doing what she really wanted.

She heard the footsteps go past her, and stop. At this point, her heart was beating rapidly, her breathing coming in fast as she tried to keep it under control.

"I know you're there," he called out suddenly, making her jump. She stayed where she was, though. She wouldn't go to him…

He rounded the corner and came into her field of vision. "Hello." He greeted her with almost comical simplicity.

Ginny didn't know what to say to that, so she just stood there as he continued. "You, know, your mudblood friend has been quite a pest, giving me awful dirty looks and such. I thought you knew not to tell anyone."

She shook her head. "I didn't-"

Her words were cut off, however, by a flash of red light followed by sharp pain that seemed to spread through her body, pain so unimaginable she forgot how to scream…and then it ended, as quickly as it had started. Ginny found herself crouched on the floor, grabbing her stomach, and stood up quickly. She didn't want to be put in any more a vulnerable position around him than she already was.

Malfoy moved quickly to her, causing her to gasp as he gripped her wrists and pushed her against the wall. "Well now you know," he growled and slammed his lips against hers. For an instant she almost felt herself respond, but stopped. She couldn't feel that way.

He released her and stepped away, saying something that sounded like "That's what I thought," and then he was gone, walking quickly down the corridor.

Ginny looked after him, wondering what had caused his sudden departure. Her question was answered when Mrs. Norris rounded the corner, most likely with Filch right behind.

She barely made it to the common room without being detected, and wouldn't have if she hadn't used the shortcut Harry had once showed her on the Marauder's Map.

Knowing that sleep wasn't exactly an option, she sat in her favorite chair, watching the dying embers and trying to figure out exactly what, if anything, she felt for the evil (but so pretty…) blonde-haired boy…

A few days later, she was sitting near that very chair on the couch beside Harry. She was subtly trying to avoid contact with him by facing him, leaning against the armrest and hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes were unfocused, her mind wandering. She found it very hard to concentrate on anything; her thoughts kept going to easier times, replaying memories effortlessly.

"Ginny?"

It took more energy than it should to bring her mind to the present. Struggling to remember what had happened in the last few minutes, she realized that Harry had been talking for a while now.

"Oh, er, what?"

He looked at her through narrow eyes. "When was the last time you slept?"

Good question. She was wondering that herself earlier that day, or was it yesterday…? Ginny frowned, trying to remember which day it had been.

"Hello?"

Her head snapped up. Oh yeah, the question…er…when had she last slept? "Erm…I think three nights ago?"

"Ginny, why haven't you slept?" he inquired, looking a bit alarmed.

_Because every time I try to, Malfoy's face keeps floating to the front of my mind, making me wonder whether or not I feel anything for him after he (__raped__) me. _Instead of saying that, though, she just shrugged. "Too much to think about, I guess."

Harry frowned. "But you can't function on no sleep; eventually you've got to get tired enough. There can't be that much to think about can there?"

"I don't know," she said softly. If only he knew why she couldn't sleep, why she was afraid to close her eyes…

"Have you ever considered going to Madame Pompfrey for a sleeping potion?" he suggested.

Truthfully, she had though of that many times, but a small part of her didn't want to sleep. When you were asleep, you opened your mind to dreams, were completely vulnerable for eight hours. Not to mention, questions were sure to be asked about why she needed one. Would the teacher see through her lies?

"No," she said. "Maybe I'll do that…"

He nodded, looking comforted. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No! It's alright, you must be tired yourself. I'll just go." After all, it _was _two in the morning. They were the last ones left out here.

She crawled through the portrait hole, and, making sure she had her wand this time, went down the Great Hall to wait for breakfast to appear in the dark.

Hours later, students began to file in. At least half of the students were there before Malfoy entered. He sat down, talking to his Slytherin friends.

Ginny's eyes unfocused, her mind went somewhere else…and Hermione sat beside her, knocking her elbow. Only then did she realize that she was staring directly at Draco, and that he was staring back.

Hermione asked her a question, and she reluctantly turned her head to face the other girl, eyes leaving his face last.

On her way back from dinner that night, Ginny found Ron walking beside her. She didn't know when he had started walking with her, or if he had just appeared, but she didn't really care.

"Hi, Ginny. How are you?"

She looked at her brother. He looked awkward, but then again, what else is new?

"Fine…"

"That's good," he said, nodding.

Silence. They were on the same floor as the Common Room now.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" He asked somewhat randomly.

"Er…no…why?" his odd behavior was starting to annoy her. She had a short temper when she was tired.

He shrugged. "Just wondering. You know that if you ever need to talk, I'm here, right?"

She nodded.

"Okay, well, I'll be in the library. Nasty potions essay," he explained.

"Have fun," she said, and turned to enter the portrait hole. That strange conversation was probably partly Hermione's doing, she thought as she climbed the stairs to her room.

Luckily, Hermione was busy with the same essay, so Ginny had the room to herself. Upon walking in, she noticed that there was an owl waiting outside the window to be let in. She opened the window and took the letter that was offered to her. The owl flew off before she could find a treat to repay it with.

Shrugging, she looked at the letter. It was small, with no name on the front, but she figured it was for her. She opened it and unfolded the paper within.

_Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at midnight. You know not to tell anyone. –Malfoy._

Ginny's heart accelerated. Why would he ever want to meet her at midnight? And why in the hell would he think she would go?

Her half-asleep brain didn't care to figure out any of these questions. No matter how much she hated herself for it, she knew she would go. No matter how many reasons there were to not meet him, and there were definitely plenty, she knew she would.

She sat by the window, looking out and witnessing the change of time on the grounds as it got slowly closer to midnight.

Finally, when it was 11:45 and Hermione still hadn't returned, Ginny braced herself and began to make her way to the Astronomy Tower.

Minutes later, she was looking out a different window, waiting for Malfoy to show. Her body shook both with cold and nervous energy.

12:01…12:03…12:04…After Ginny had checked her watch for the fourth time and found only a minute had passed since she last looked at it, she wondered if she should just go back to her room. She turned away from the window and jumped when she saw him leaning against the doorway.

"You came," he didn't sound surprised, he was just stating a fact.

She shrugged, biting her lip.

"Are you going to the next Hogsmeade weekend?"

She had to think for a minute before she realized what he was talking about; it seemed completely irrelevant to why they were there. "Yeah."

"Do you want to go with me?"

"Oh, erm…sure?" she stuttered, completely taken aback by the question.

If he noticed, he didn't seem to care. "Good. And-" he shot a simple, wordless curse at her that left a gash on her arm "-don't tell anyone until I do."

With that, he left, leaving an extremely confused and bleeding Ginny behind him. She went back to her room, stopping in the common room to look on the schedule and discover the next Hogsmeade trip was in two months, hoping that her roommate would still be gone. She was.

Ginny went to the bathroom to wipe to blood from her arm. On her way out, she looked at her reflection. She saw something new in her eyes, a kind of hope, maybe even-dare she think it-love?

She felt disgusted with herself, hated herself for feeling this way. Shouldn't she look just as hopeless as she had a week ago? Shouldn't she loathe him with every ounce of strength she had? She couldn't, though, and instead the directed the loathing at herself. Why couldn't she do or feel anything right?

She couldn't bear what she saw looking back at her. Without thinking, she smashed her fist against the mirror. The sharp shards dug into her skin, instantly drawing blood. If she felt it, she didn't care. She continued to slam her palm against it until the only pieces left on the wall were too small to see a full reflection.

That night, she slept. Although her hands were bloody and painful, she finally knew for sure how she felt.

**A/N: Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out, I needed to get it just right so it took a lot of rewriting…but here it is! Hope you enjoyed it. **

**Also, review thanks to Dark Rose Forever, Shizuko Yasuga, and especially to bookworm708 for reviewing every chapter…definitely helped my motivation. :) **


	6. Countdown

**Chapter Six:**

Ginny was able to pass off "okay" easier with the newfound confirmation of her affections towards Malfoy, regardless of how unwelcome they may be.

Though life still wasn't easy. She wondered if, had her nightmare ended simply after one night, she would have felt a bit better by now. But the nightmare didn't end. Every day, she was forced to think about it. Every time Harry was with her, it was like an orange neon sign flashing in her mind.

That neon sign was forced out of the depths of her mind in which she buried it one night in the Great Hall. Ginny was sitting with the usual trio when Harry's words finally got her attention.

"…so I was thinking, when we go into Hogsmeade, we could…"

She shook her head and looked at him. "We…?" she inquired.

"Well, yeah…You are going, aren't you? With me?" he added unsurely after a pause.

Her eyebrows pulled together as if to shield her thoughts from the onslaught of unresolved issues about to pour forward.

"You haven't exactly asked me yet," she defended in jest as an attempt to keep the conversation light.

He looked momentarily confused. "I didn't know I had to…er, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Ginny looked down at her food. This was the hard part.

"I'm not sure…" she said.

By this time, a quiet had descended on the few surrounding friends; the type of quiet that people engage in when trying to listen in on a conversation, but their silence only gives their eavesdropping away.

"Maybe we should just go separately," she suggested.

"Let's talk about this later," he responded, obviously having picked up on the listeners as well.

In times like these, there are generally two things people usually do: give in and show no backbone at all, or take a little too strong of a stand.

Ginny was sick of giving in.

"No, I don't think so," she informed him lightly while her insides were reeling. "I've given you an answer. Sorry," she added as she got up from the table and retreated out of the huge doors.

Or maybe not-so-much of a retreat; guess who decided to be near the doors at that moment.

"By the way," Malfoy muttered to her, "Most of the Slytherins know I'm taking you to Hogsmeade."

She stared at him, nodded, then continued her almost-tearful trip to her room.

Only later did she realize that he (purposely) picked the worst time possible to announce their date, for lack of a better word.

Fifty days until the trip.

It had taken nine days to gather the courage to inform Harry that she wasn't going to Hogsmeade with him. It had taken one more day for that news to get around to all the students. Including Hermione, Ron, and Harry.

So, and she wondered if she should have expected any less, on the evening of that day Ginny was listening to Hermione go on about what, exactly, Ginny was doing wrong.

"I mean, honestly, Ginny. Why would you be going out with him, of all people? Especially when it's basically the first opportunity for you and Harry to get away from Hogwarts together."

Ginny blinked, wondering when Hermione would run out of things to say. Did the older girl realize how difficult it was to keep the damage this was doing to her from reaching the outside?

"He's the worst person, simply by character. But Harry, Ginny…you've no idea what it's done to Harry."

Ah, there was the icing on the cake of everything else Hermione had said to her. _What it's doing to Harry…_ Ginny bit her lip and took a deep breath, making sure her voice was steady as she replied "I didn't do it because it would hurt anyone…It's just…how things are. And it's hardly even a date…"

Hermione scoffed. "Please, Ginny. Don't kid yourself, and don't pretend for me, okay?"

"It's just a one time thing," the redhead lied further, heart sinker lower as her lies did. "It's not to hurt anyone, it's just what I'm doing."

"But Ginny, on a more serious note…was he the one who…?"

Ginny took a breath to start a rather long and rude sentence directed towards Hermione, but the other girl spoke loudly over her.

"Because I can't think of any other reason you would do this to Harry, or yourself."

"Didn't you mention a rather large essay you were due to complete? Now, if my presence here is distracting you in any way, you're welcome to go to the library."

First hurt, then cold indifference covered the otherwise vulnerable Gryffindor's face. "Right, I nearly forgot. Bye, Ginny."

The door slammed behind Hermione, and no one was in the room to hear Ginny's whispered goodbye as she slowly gave in to breaking down.

An hour later, and the tears still hadn't stopped. Granted, they had slowed down, but Ginny remained in the bathroom, staring at herself through the recently-repaired mirror.

Every thought in her head struggled to the front, trying to get her immediate and complete attention. But there were too many, so the addition of each just added confusion.

What finally cleared her mind wasn't her constant pleas to herself to calm down, nor was it the obvious truth that the more she let her emotions spiral out of control the less she would be able to think.

No, it was the knock at the door and the irritating smooth voice announcing simply "It's me" that send each thought scattering to the recesses of her mind, remaining there, trembling.

As a result, it was with a clear head and a calm demeanor that Ginny answered the door.

Regardless of the verbal warning, the sight of Draco standing at her door shocked her, seemed very wrong. His blond hair appeared to bright in the small Gryffindor dorm, his robes out of place, even his physical appearance seemed not-quite-right, different somehow.

"How did you get in here?" was the only thing she could think to ask.

He shrugged easily. "I have friends from every house."

Ginny nodded as if she cared.

"Can I come in?" he asked a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah, sure," Ginny stepped aside to let the strange boy in.

They both took a seat on her bed, and Draco began discussing how they were going to handle the Slytherins and Gryffindors, and their plans for Hogsmeade.

As he spoke, she thought about how ridiculous it seemed for him to be discussing plans fifty days before the actual event. Though she thought she heard some insults directed at her slipped into the one-sided conversation, that was the only idea that stuck out in her mind. She also thought about how gorgeous he looked, sitting there, on her bed…

And as she stared, for just a moment he appeared to fit. It was as if someone just turned a puzzle piece and he slipped right into the rest of the picture.

She was suddenly angry, incensed at him. Not only was he making her love him after what he did, but here he was, discussing their _date plans _on her bed and acting as if everything was normal.

"Why'd you do it?

The words were out of her before she really thought about whether or not to stop them.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"That night by the lake; why would you do something like that to me? And why are you doing _this_?" she made a general sweeping motion with her hand.

"I've no idea what you're talking about."

She blinked. "Eighteen days ago. We were in the forest. By the lake. And…and you…"

"Still, I would love to know what you're going on about," he said. His eyes and lips showed some sense of amusement, as if he was enjoying this.

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about!" she very near yelled.

He sat up straighter. "Right, well, as it is quite obvious you need to gather your thoughts, and it's getting late anyways, I'll be leaving now. I'll see you soon."

Once again, anger and love swirled unbelievably strong in the same small space within her as she sat there, head spinning. And once again, it was all caused by Draco Malfoy.

She lay back, begging the peace of sleep to come to her.

When Hermione entered the room, the only thing that broke the silence was the opening and closing of the door, the slam of books and the shuffling of clothes. A deeper quiet enveloped them as the light switched off, and yet Ginny was still unable to find sleep.

Images of that horrific night kept reminding her that it _did _happen, that what he was saying wasn't true. How could he not remember? Why would she have made that up?

And yet, the seed of doubt was planted within her, keeping her awake.

Night passed slowly for Ginny, along with confusing thoughts of Malfoy and possible reasons something like this could happen to her.

Why couldn't she control what she was feeling? She had no reason to love him.

**A/N: …and she admits it. I hope it wasn't too long a wait for this next chapter, but here it is, and there's more coming soon. By all means, tell me what you think.**

**Review thanks to Dark Rose Forever, as much as I'd love to give out more of those, I'm glad you liked it. :)**


	7. Simple

**40 Days Until.**

Nightly visits had gotten more frequent, and were no longer very awkward. Ginny had given up on attempting to figure out what, exactly, Draco was doing, and simply went along with it.

So when he met her at the entrance to the Great Hall and invited her to eat lunch with him, she accepted.

Draco wrapped his arm around her waist. Part of her writhed away from his touch, the other part moved as close to him as possible.

That resisting part got smaller and smaller as they walked.

As she sat down, it seemed to Ginny that an odd hush had settled over the Great Hall. Though upon first listen everyone appeared to be talking normally, if you knew the Hogwarts students well enough it was obvious that the tone had changed from casual to the hushed tones of gossip.

She flushed when she realized that she was probably the cause. As badly as she didn't want to, she forced herself to look at the group of her friends she normally sat with. Immediately regret filled her.

Hermione wasn't even looking at her and yet Ginny could see the angry posture from across the hall, shown, clumsier, on Ron as well. He was looking down, and Harry…Harry was staring at her. Hurt was obvious, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was something more in his glare, something different than she was expecting.

Ginny looked away immediately, turning her attention to the Slytherins who were being introduced to her.

"…and you've met Pansy, right, Ginny?" Malfoy finished.

"Yeah, hi," she said with a smile.

Pansy smiled back, throwing the younger girl off, who'd never seen her smile before. It was unsettling; Ginny hadn't been expecting any greeting at all, let alone a kind one.

And so the rest of dinner carried on. The whole situation seemed far too easy to adjust to, as everyone was kind and accepting to her; no one seemed to find it odd that the small, red-headed Gryffindor girl was sitting with them. Was Draco's girlfriend.

Try as though she might to enjoy the odd surprise, Ginny could always feel the eyes of Harry on her, analyzing her.

Even after Hermione, Ron, and Harry had left, Ginny could feel a gaze on her. This time, though, it was an eager, curious, and greedy-for-gossip type of look. She was talking to a Slytherin girl that she had quite a lot in common with, and she tried to keep from laughing at her friend's eagerness to know what was going on.

Because Malfoy only had one free period after lunch, he and the girl Ginny was talking to had to go, and that's when Rebecca got her chance.

She took that chance, too. It seemed to Ginny that Rebecca got there faster than Malfoy had even left the hall.

"Ohmygod! Ginny what are you doing?"

The redhead was one of the few tolerant people who weren't irritated by the very presence of Rebecca. In most everyone else's eyes, she was gossipy, loud, clingy, and ridiculous.

"Eating lunch," Ginny said with a smile.

"You know what I mean," the girl said, rolling her eyes and elbowing her way into a spot as close to Ginny as was possible without being on top of her.

Ginny tensed. The vibe she was getting from the few remaining Slytherins suddenly seemed far less welcome than her initial arrival; apparently they shared the same view on Rebecca as her Gryffindor acquaintances. "Here, let's go to our common room.

Rebecca complied and, waving a cheery goodbye to the irritated fifth-years, followed her friend to the near-empty common room.

"So so so? How did you and Malfoy happen? I mean, him, of all people??"

She leaned over eagerly to Ginny, who shrugged as they sat on the couch. "It just…did. I don't know exactly."

"You don't know? Well-" she lowered her voice to a more gossipy tone "-do you think he's cute?"

"Er…well I'm going out with him, so yeah, I guess."

"Really? Me too, kinda. But a lot of other people don't think so."

Ginny shrugged and let her friend go on.

"Soooo…" Rebecca said with a suggestive look.

"So what?" Ginny asked, a bit exasperated.

"What have you guys done?"

Ginny tensed, her heart beat a little bit faster. The words that had so carelessly poured from Rebecca's mouth served as a reminder, and opened the flood gates that she had carefully closed against those memories. Her mind flashed to that night, and for a second she was forced to face the awful truth again: she loved the boy who had practically ruined her life.

But, by instinct or simply by practice, she was able to close that part of her mind and place herself back into a world where her love was simple, and nothing had been destroyed.

She rolled her eyes and gave a playful smile. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"Oh, come on!"

"No, Rebecca. Besides, I have a huge essay I have to work on."

After a bit more urging and a few exasperated looks from Ginny, the girl finally departed to spread the latest scandal.

Ginny made her way slowly up to her room. When inside she closed the door behind her, and leaning against it, closed her eyes.

She took a long, controlled breath to protect herself from the truth.

By the time dinner came around, the truth was in its usual, rightful spot behind a great vault door in Ginny's mind.

Before leaving the dorm, Ginny had fretted (being as unsure of herself as she was) over whether or not she should automatically go to the Slytherin table, but what if he wasn't there, and should she just go to her own Gryffindor table, but she didn't want to give him the wrong idea…

And continuously her mind went.

By the time she actually got to the Great Hall, she had worked herself into a mild panic, so she decided to fall back into old habits.

Habit?

_There's an idea to scoff at,_ she thought as she sad down. Because, if "habit" was something that could be retrieved so easily, it would call for something other than icy silence as she sat down next to Ron; something other than a glare from Hermione, and a sad look from Harry.

But was there something else in that look? Did his eyes not only serve as windows into his misery, but windows into some other intentions as well?

Ginny shook the thoughts from her head. She needed to quit thinking that, it was just wishful thinking; only Hermione could have any clue as to what might be going on.

"Hi, guys," she greeted with fake casualness.

"Hi-" Harry began to answer, but his expression darkened. "Looks like someone wants you, Ginny."

She turned around to face whatever Harry was referring and saw Malfoy leaning against the great doorway, staring intently at her.

"Oh, okay. See you later?" Ginny said, already pulling away from the table.

Later, she would vaguely remember hearing Ron say something like "You'd never know she even had half a mind of her own," and Hermione answer shortly "We don't even know the whole story, Ron. Back off," but at the moment, she didn't have any mind for that. In her mind, all was silent where she was leaving behind.

"Hi," she greeted with a smile and complied when he held his arms out for her.

"What were you doing at that table?" was his greeting, his disgust hardly hidden.

"Well that's my house…"

"No," he said as they walked to the Slytherin table. "From now on, you eat with me, okay?"

She smiled at his hidden command. "Okay."

They were at the table now, and Draco placed a short, small kiss on her lips before they sat.

Throughout dinner, Ginny was happy. She talked and gossiped with the surrounding Slytherins, acting as if she belonged; after all, it felt as if she did. She paid no mind to her friends back at the Gryffindor table as she socialized, all the time moving slightly closer to Draco. Next to him, she felt more comforted than she ever had in the care of Hermione.

Maybe it had all been some mistake.

**A/N: okay, this chapter was mainly just to show how quickly he's gaining control over her, and how easily she's finding it to forget what happened.**

**Review thanks to Dark Rose Forever, your reviews are greatly appreciated. 3**


	8. Forward

Later that night Malfoy walked Ginny to her room, and the only time she looked back at the Gryffindor table was to make sure that Hermione was still there. She didn't want to be seen by the scolding older girl.

Luckily, Hermione was still chatting animatedly with Harry and Ron.

Somehow, Ginny felt closer to Malfoy as they climbed through the portrait hole and as they closed the door of her room behind them.

She badly wanted the distance between them to be closed, and apparently so did he. Once the door shut, he pulled her over to the bed.

Ginny leaned against the bedpost as he kissed her, and just for a split second, she let herself think that this kiss was just so different from that other night. Surely it couldn't be the same guy. This was gentle, kind, and that had been…not.

She moved closer into him, allowing every part of herself to press against him. This is where she belonged...

Draco's hands slowly moved from the small of her back to the first button of her blouse, which skilled hands quickly released and moved onto the second. A small warning sign went off briefly in Ginny's head, but died as a flame does when doused with water. She felt this was something necessary.

The shirt fell open, and their bodies were briefly separated as he slipped his quickly off, and with a teasing smile sat on the bed. She joined him, and their lips met again.

Although her heart was racing, her movements were slow, cautious, and she was grateful that he mimicked that instinct.

Arms around his neck, she had never felt more secure.

That is, until the door opened. "Gah! Ginny-uh-bleh-Malfoy, get out of here!"

Malfoy pulled away and gave Ginny a smirk that could cause any girl to regret his leaving.

They both sat up, Ginny's face a shade of red that could rival even Ron's most embarrassing moment. Draco, on the other hand, seemed simply amused.

"Sorry, Granger," he smirked. "Guess we forgot to lock the door."

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed him his shirt. "I would just like to sleep, and I can imagine that that could be difficult with you two as a distraction. Care to reschedule?"

Her words were cold and her eyes shone with hatred, but Hermione was only looking at Malfoy.

He grabbed the shirt and slipped it on. Without a word, Draco kissed Ginny again, a little harder than before. She almost protested.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked, to which she could only nod.

The last noise for a while was the sound of the door closing behind Malfoy. Ginny got up and put her pajamas on while Hermione went to the bathroom to take a shower.

By the time the older girl was out, Ginny was tucked under the covers and feigning sleep. Hermione dressed and went to sit on the side of her friend's bed.

"Ginny, I know you're awake, but I also know you don't want my opinion or my help, so I'll just talk. Whether you listen or not is your choice. I know that you're convinced that what happened to you that night in the forest is something that you can forget and get over quickly, but it's not, and frankly, I'm surprised to see you jumping into something so soon afterwards. Especially with what you had with Harry.

"Draco seems too sudden, too unexplainable to be a coincidence. I know that you'd rather die than admit it, but you've got to be careful. I'm not the only one who objects to this relationship…Ron's angry, Harry's hurt…you can guarantee your other brothers will hear about this, too. I just hope you're ready to defend your decision."

Ginny hadn't the heart to answer back.

Hermione climbed into bed, and, just before shutting the light off, said "Oh, and you probably won't be seeing Malfoy tomorrow. We're leaving for the Burrow; it's the first day of spring break."

Hopelessness surrounded Ginny as the dark did. What had taken place tonight was something she wanted more than she realized. She felt wanted. She felt loved. She actually had something to rely on when she was with him, and it was clear-cut, obvious.

She wasn't sure if she could survive a whole week without that comfort with her. God knows, she wasn't going to get it from her family.

Packing's easy when you're distracted and nervous; at least it is for Ginny. Her mind already full to the brim with thoughts of what Fred and George would hear, what they would think of her, how it would be sharing a house with Harry for a full week, etc, her body went on autopilot. She hardly realized she was finished until Hermione inquired as to why Ginny was trying to shove her lamp into her suitcase.

Leaving was another matter, however.

As soon as Ginny entered the overcrowded Great Hall, her mind emptied and her autopilot jammed. Somehow she knew he would be there before she saw him.

That didn't stop her heart from jumping a little at the sight of him leaning casually against the banister of the great stone stairs, both for good and bad. She loved him, but she was with Hermione.

Must she choose?

It would seem so. Ginny could feel the disapproval radiating off of Hermione even as they began to part; Hermione towards the door and Ginny towards Draco.

"Hello," he greeted, placing a small kiss on her lips.

"Hi," she said sadly. If he noticed her tone, he didn't say anything.

"You never told me you were leaving."

"Sorry, I forgot myself," she said with a nervous smile.

"So I'll see you next week?" he asked, eyes looking pointedly at something behind Ginny.

She turned to see Hermione, Ron, and Harry waiting for her just inside the door.

"Yeah, I guess I will," she said.

Draco kissed her again, longer and deeper this time, and her heart fluttered.

They exchanged goodbyes and he sent her on her way.

"Wouldn't want to make us late, now would you?" Ron said, looking dark.

"Never, Ronald," she said coldly, and walked ahead of them to some of her other friends. Doubts of whether or not he'd actually be mad at her for being with someone she really liked disappeared.

"Nice, Ron," Hermione said, watching Ginny talk with some fifth-years they didn't know as the group of students made their way to where the thestral-drawn carriages would pick them up.

"What?" he asked. "She deserved it. Why would you care, anyways? You share the same view on Malfoy as Harry and I do."

"Hey, don't bring me into this," Harry interjected quickly. If Ron and Hermione were taking sides again, he definitely preferred to stay neutral.

Hermione answered Ron with no notice to Harry's comment. "We don't have to make her feel like crap, though. And I wanted to talk to her."

"And you couldn't do so while you were sharing a room with her? That's bad planning on your part, Hermione."

_Of course_, Hermione thought, _you're always right._

She sighed and tried to get rid of negative thoughts towards Ron. He was just doing what he thought was best, and he didn't exactly understand the human mind enough to pick up on what could actually be going on.

It was hard, though. He had just ruined what could have been a perfect opportunity to get Ginny to talk about her and Malfoy without seeming over inquisitive or suspicious.

Hermione sat down in the carriage, coming to terms with the fact she would have to sit through a three hour train ride knowing that Ginny could have been feeding her more reasons to believe what she did, when instead she was chattering meaninglessly with her friends.

Little did Hermione know, Ginny found this chatter rather tiresome as well.

These girl's weren't exactly Ginny's friends, per se; they were more Rebecca's.

So, naturally, all they really discussed was boys, boys, boys. Exactly what Ginny didn't want to talk about.

She sat through their trivial complaints, blah blah blah doesn't want to do this, while love triangle that, but it was when the topic began sneaking towards cross-house dating that she decided she couldn't stand to be part of the conversations any longer. The last thing Ginny wanted was questions as to why she decided to go out with Malfoy.

"I'll be right back; bathroom," Ginny explained shortly as answer to Rebecca's questioning look.

Harry had been listening to Hermione…until Ginny passed by their compartment window. She looked a little off, but he couldn't place exactly how.

He'd been thinking about her recently, probably more than he rightly should. She was with Malfoy, after all.

But there was something about the way she was with him, and him with her, that made him wonder…and worry. He had felt a change come over her, inexplicably and he couldn't place exactly how or when, but it was there, as if the whole world had shifted just a notch and, though Ginny was who she had always been on the outside, there was something completely different within her.

He wondered if anyone else had felt it. Ginny hadn't been the only one to shift.

After days of pushing her out of his mind over and over again, Harry couldn't help but stare after her as she passed by them on the train. This was his chance, wasn't it?

He looked back at Hermione and Ron, telling from a glance that neither had seen the flash of red hair that meant Ginny, and stood up.

"I'll be right back."

He was out the door before they nodded, and followed the figure moving quickly down the hallway.

Ginny wasn't exactly sure what she expected to find at the end of the train in her search to rid herself of Rebecca's company. Empty Compartments? That'd be nice, there might be a few still open. The four bathrooms? Ginny didn't feel like standing in line just to be able to stare at herself in the mirror for a while, pointing out her flaws. Harry Potter? Wait, What?

She turned around, wondering if she had actually heard her name or if it was simply foolish wishful thinking. Sure enough, though, there he was, making his way quickly towards her.

Vaguely wondering if she looked slightly ridiculous, Ginny waited until Harry reached her, but made no move to go to him.

"Hey," he said slightly breathlessly. She wondered if he had been following her at that fast a pace through the whole train.

"Hi…?"

This felt awkward.

"I saw you pass our compartment, and you looked kinda stressed out, so I figured…" he trailed off, answering her.

So he had been following her the whole train length. _Persistent,_ she thought. _I wonder if Draco would ever notice when I'm stressed or…_

"Oh yeah. Rebecca and her friends can get tiring to anyone, even me," she explained with a smile that he was quick to return.

"Understandable."

The awkward silence that followed didn't make Ginny feel any more at ease.

Harry didn't look upset, at least not to her. And if he was, one would think that he wouldn't care to check up on her. . . Right?

"So, uh, do you need to…?" Harry asked, motioning to the bathrooms.

Ginny laughed, partly because he wasn't the only one wondering what she was doing here. "Oh, no…I just came to find an empty compartment," she half-lied. "You know, some quiet."

He nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that. Well, you know, Hermione, Ron, and I aren't too terribly loud of a group. You could always sit with us."

"Ron wouldn't like that very much," she said bitterly, the sting of his misinformed words returning for a minute.

Immediately she regretted saying that, though. Her words brought up the fact that Ronald was frustrated with her, and by extent, the cause.

"Ginny," Harry said, his tone softening, "he didn't mean it. It's just…weird, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ginny said briskly, trying to shake her mistake.

"So…" Harry motioned to the other end of the train. "You coming?"

Ginny felt that smile return to her lips for the first time in too long, the one that only graced her face when she knew exactly what she was doing. "Sure."

They arrived moments later at the compartment occupied by a very obviously flirting pair of teenagers, (Hermione's face was hardly an inch away from Ron's) who moved about a foot apart when the door opened.

"Harry!" said a startled Hermione. "We'd wondered when you'd return…Oh hi Ginny!" Her smile appeared sincere, at least to Ginny.

"Hi. I ran into Harry near the end of the train and he invited me to sit with you guys. Of course, if that's okay with you," she added, eyes fixed on the still red-faced boy near the window. The statement sounded anything but apologetic, and the words took on a whole different meaning with the amount of sarcasm she pumped into them. Talking to these three finally felt like she was slipping into old habits, and Draco was finally shoved from her mind.

Ron frowned. "What were you two doing near the back of the train?"

Hermione, with her somewhat innocent outlook on life, didn't understand quite was dear Ronald was implicating, but Ginny and Harry understood well enough.

"Not what you're implying," Ginny snapped.

Harry just seemed amused by the conversation.

"Whatever you say," Ron said, shrugging.

And so the trip to the Burrow continued, a lapse back into normality that no one had been expecting and that everyone was grateful for, with Ginny and Ron snapping back and forth and Harry laughing every time either one of them said any particularly insulting comeback to the other while Hermione halfheartedly attempted to keep the peace. The only abnormal element was the less-than-innocent looks exchanged between mediator and instigator.


	9. Home

Arriving at the Burrow over Spring Break with Harry and Hermione as company for the week was different than being stuck here with just her brothers for all summer until school started, and the sight of the familiar too-tall house enclosed her in a cloak of comfort that felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Ginny smiled and got out of the car, luggage trailing behind her.

Molly came running from the house, smiling at and hugging them all with warm welcomes. They brought their luggage upstairs, moving into their according spaces; Harry was rooming with Ron by choice while Hermione, to Ginny's partial relief, would be staying in Bill's old room.

Ginny was unpacking when, without any warning or knock, her door opened and the twins marched in. She jumped, then to hide the fact that they had succeeded in scaring her, rolled her eyes and said "Don't you guys know that real gentlemen knock before marching into a girls room?"

"Yeah, that's true," said Fred.

"But we, miss, are anything but natural gentlemen," put in George.

She put her hand on her hip. "Am I allowed no privacy? What if I was-"

"That, dear sis, is a sin against God so you should not be doing it anyways and it's hardly our fault if you get caught," Fred joked, looking at her with a mockingly stern look.

It took Ginny a moment to get that one. "Well, I was going to say changing…"

"No matter, little sis," George said. "Do what you will alone, we don't mind if you go to hell. We simply came to announce the completion of dinner."

She shook her head and went through the two out the door, muttering "Welcome home."

"Naturally," they said in unison, and, grinning, followed her downstairs with questions only overbearing brothers would ask.

Dinner was taken with a general good mood. Ginny sat in between Harry and Hermione, across from Fred and George. The high spirits from the meal stayed with everyone to bed, giving them peaceful sleeps and Ginny the idea that maybe things would be great at the Burrow this week.

Ginny groaned and flipped over. She had forgotten how bright the sun could get, and her blinds had ended up victim to one of Fred and George's experiments a few months back. What was the point of spring break if you couldn't sleep in?

After trying for sleep a few more minutes, she gave up and got out of bed, making her way down to the kitchen once clothed and washed.

Within the first hour it was clear to Ginny that Fred and George knew about Malfoy. Apparently after she had gone to bed considerably early (exhaustion comes with the territory of having a boyfriend that everyone, including you, has every reason to loathe), the rumor had been sufficiently spread throughout the family.

Of course, nothing was outright said; that wasn't Fred and George's style. It was the little looks she received and saw exchanged that told her that they knew. Though Ginny was relatively sure that something would be said now or later.

Because it was the first day of a vacation, no one wanted to stay inside, so they all spent most of their time in the recently expanded backyard, admiring the work that Mrs. Weasely had put into it since they last visited.

By mid-afternoon, Ginny and Ron had won two out of five quidditch games against Harry, Fred and George had discovered (at the expense of a flower bed and a number of gnomes) that their newest experiment didn't work, and Hermione had finished almost all her homework. Basically, everyone was exhausted and happy.

Ginny flopped down under a tree, loving the cool shade. She felt someone else next to her, and turned her head to see Harry sitting next to her. "Hey," he said.

"I beat you in quidditch," she greeted in response.

He rolled his eyes. "Believe what you want, but two to three is hardly a victory."

She stuck out her tongue.

Harry smiled, his lips stretching to reveal perfectly white teeth, warming her heart as he did. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen a smile like that; it seemed so far away.

Then, leave it to Fred and George to ruin a perfect moment.

"Hey, Gin! From what we here," Fred said as the two reached the pair under the tree.

"You hardly have a right to be flirting with that one," George finished with an impish grin to match the glint in his eye.

Harry blushed horribly. Ginny sat up. "And when did my right to _speak_ to _Harry_ expire?"

The twins swapped a significant look. "Well, information came to us that you are currently dating-ah, who is he again, George?"

"Hmmm…name, name…tall blonde fellow? Slightly gangly, quite a prick?"

"Yes, that's the one. What's his name, Ginny?"

It took effort to control the anger that they provoked within her, but years living with this kind of mischief had taught her well that control would pay off.

So, faking a considering look and a calm demeanor, she answered "Well, I wouldn't know who you're talking about. If I am indeed dating someone right now I'm certain he's not a prick."

Just then the furious voice of Mrs. Weasley sounded from within the house, turning the faces of Fred and George instantly a little paler.

"We'll continue on this topic in a bit, sis," Fred said as parting words, and the two got up.

"Does this mean she saw the-" Ginny heard George ask.

"Yeah," answered Fred.

"Blast."

Ginny smiled at the fact that her "tormenters" were getting into trouble and wondered what, exactly, they had done this time. They seemed less confident about their "absolute innocence" than usual.

Harry, who had wisely kept quiet during that exchange, finally spoke. "Your brothers have a talent for making many situations both awkward and amusing at the same time."

She looked at him apologetically and agreed. The two let the conversation drive over that certain bump in the road, and Ginny was grateful that they were friends enough to not allow the twin's comments come between them.

By the time it was dark, Harry had gone inside to help Mrs. Weasley with dinner, leaving Ginny, Hermione, and Ron as the only people still lounging under the trees.

Having no particularly strong desire to interact with the other two, Ginny contented herself with laying back on the cool grass and filling her vision with the stars that danced across the night sky. All was quiet that way, until Hermione called out for her to join them.

She refused at first, but, after recognizing that the persistent girl wouldn't stop until she accepted, Ginny agreed and walked over to where her brother and friend were sitting.

"I couldn't just let you sit over there all by yourself," Hermione explained with a smile.

"I actually like looking at the stars here. They're really bright," said Ginny, returning the gesture.

"Hmm." Hermione looked up appreciatively. "But there's nothing quite like being in the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower…" She then proceeded into a long one-sided discussion about the new equipment and studies that are being made.

Ginny looked over to meet Ron's eye, knowing that they could relate to each other with the shared exasperation of Hermione's excessiveness, because that's what they always did, but wasn't able to catch his eye. The boy seemed to be pointedly avoiding her gaze, in fact. She frowned.

"Ginny? Hello?" Ginny looked up without knowing what Hermione was talking about.

"Er…what?"

"You weren't paying attention. Ugh I've gone on again, haven't I?" Hermione laughed and put her head in her hands. "Sorry guys."

Mr. Weasely's figure appeared outlined by light in the back door. "Hermione, we could certainly use your expertise in spells. Do you mind?"

The girl got her head out of her hands and said that she certainly didn't mind, leaving Ron and Ginny alone together.

Normally, Ginny would have been fine with the silence, content to simply look up at the stars and wonder what, exactly, they still had in store for someone like her. But at that moment, the silence seemed to be suffocating her, the stars threatening to fall down in a fiery blaze of hatred and knock her out. A sudden fit of restlessness overtook her and caused her to shudder and sit up.

She ran a hand through her hair and diverted her attention with an attempt at conversation. "Are you and Hermione getting serious at all?"

Relationships. Granted, it probably wasn't the best topic to chose with him, but it was the first thing that had popped into her suddenly scrambled mind.

"That's none of your business."

His sharp tone took her aback. "Okay…"

Ginny could practically feel anger radiating off him. "Ron, what's wrong?"

Dark stars and an angry moon don't make for much light, but it was enough for her to see the incredulous expression on Ron's face. His eyes held everything she feared they would.

"Are you kidding me?"

Ginny shrugged.

"After everything that took place back at Hogwarts, you just come here and pretend that nothing happened, that life should just keep going on as it is, and you want to know what's _wrong_?"

His words set off her defensiveness and anger. "Okay, and what, exactly, happened at Hogwarts that should prevent me a normal life?"

"You know what happened."

"And you say I'm ignoring the truth? You won't even accuse me of what you're accusing me of!"

"I don't need to. You know what I'm talking about."

"Say it."

"No."

"Say it, Ronald. I dare you to say it."

"I shouldn't-"

"Just say it!"

"You're dating the man who raped you!"

Ginny knew they were coming, but hearing was different than knowing. However, that sentence didn't hurt as she thought it would have, rather gave her an icy coating of determination. Determination to prove him wrong, to stick with her decision and show that it was the right one.

Ron's following words knocked on her ice coating, but couldn't find a way through. "I know it, and Hermione knows it. Even if she's okay with it, I'm not. Not only are you screwing yourself up, but you're screwing Harry up, too."

"At least you admitted it," she muttered, and stood up. She walked to the back door, and as she was about to enter the house, he called out to her, "You have to chose a side. It should be us, or him."

And those words made it to her ears.

**A/N: My apologies, I know It's a pretty short chapter. We're finally getting to what the story is really about, and I know that it's taken a pretty long time to get into it…I hope this hasn't been going in circles for too long! I'm planning on going back and editing the chapters, for writing and for condensing the events, so stay tuned. As always, reviews=motivation.**


End file.
